OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

17.08°S, 70.84°WAmerica/Lima

Daylight+64.0°

13:12:51

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 54m of true darkness · 11h 24m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:45

Civil Dusk18:07

Nautical18:33

Full Dark19:00

Nadir23:27

Dark Ends03:54

Nautical04:21

Civil Dawn04:47

Sunrise05:09

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE-33.0°

DISTANCE379,926 km

Moonrise15:35

Moonset03:08

HorizonBelow

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

42/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to America/Lima

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	63.2°	264°	Libra	04:57	11:20	17:44	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-2.4°	284°	Leo	01:35	07:18	13:02	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-43.2°	105°	Pisces	16:13	22:13	04:17	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-11.3°	285°	Cancer	01:03	06:44	12:23	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	82.4°	238°	Libra	06:16	12:45	19:13	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-81.0°	297°	Taurus	20:10	01:48	07:23	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-35.6°	103°	Pisces	15:41	21:43	03:49	Telescope

TONIGHT'S VIEWING SCHEDULE

When & Where to Look Tonight

A simple guide to when each object is above your horizon. No astronomy chart reading required.

BEST TIMEHighest in your sky

The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES15:35

BEST TIME21:42N · 68° high

SETS03:08

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:35

BEST TIME07:18N · 59° high

SETS13:02

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:13

BEST TIME22:13N · 72° high

SETS04:17

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES04:57

BEST TIME11:20S · 89° high

SETS17:44

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:03

BEST TIME06:44N · 55° high

SETS12:23

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.

OBSERVING LOG & TARGET LIST

Tonight's Prime Deep-Sky Targets

0 / 6 targets logged tonight

M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda

Andromeda Galaxy

Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)

Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.

M45 · Taurus

The Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Open Star Cluster

Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.

M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion

Great Orion Nebula

Diffuse Emission Nebula

Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.

NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus

The Double Cluster

Twin Open Clusters

Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.

M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules

Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Globular Cluster (300k stars)

Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.

M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra

The Ring Nebula

Planetary Nebula

Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.